Nutrition And Physical Degeneration

The title of this article is the same as the groundbreaking book published by dentist and nutritionist Dr Weston A. Price in 1939. It shows that the introduction of white flour and refined sugar destroyed the health of peoples everywhere. It defines the foods and nutrients we need to avoid dental decay and systemic illness. We ignore it at our peril.

Dr Weston Price (1870-1948) was the dentist who documented the groundbreaking research about how root canal fillings cause systemic illness. He was also a nutritional researcher. In the 1930’s, he and Mrs Weston Price embarked on a nine year journey covering over 150,000 miles, studying and living among isolated and primitive peoples all over the globe, making meticulous notes and chemical analyses of their diets and health, both mental and physical. The overwhelming results showing the deterioration that occurred in dental, physical and mental health after modern western diets were adopted, surely mean that Nutrition and Physical Degeneration is the most important nutritional book ever written.  While our governments spend millions researching the degenerative diseases that plague western civilisation, it is a crime that such fundamental dietary advice is completely ignored.

Here is a short synopsis of the isolated communities that Dr and Mrs Price visited, and what they ate to build strong, healthy bodies and teeth as well as excellent mental health:

Isolated valleys of Switzerland:  Grass-fed dairy products, whole rye bread, meat about once a week, vegetables when available.

Outer Hebrides: Sea foods, oat cake, oat porridge, marine plants, limited vegetables when available.

Eskimos, Indians of Alaska and the Far North: Animal tissues and liberal use of organ meats from land and sea animals, limited vegetables, very limited seeds.

South Sea Islands: Liberal use of sea animals, marine and land plants, limited seeds, lily roots or taro (root vegetable).

Cattle tribes of Africa: Milk, blood, meats and organ meat, fresh water animal life, variety of plants.

Australian Aborigines: Large and small wild animal meats, fresh water or marine animals, wild plants, fresh water marine and sea life.

New Zealand Maori: Liberal use of sea animals, marine plants, marine birds and their eggs, land birds, seeds of trees, plants, vegetables, particularly fern root.

Indians of plains of North and South America: Liberal use of organs and tissues of wild animals, large variety of plant foods, fresh and salt water animal life.

Coastal Indians of North and South America: Liberal use of sea and animal life plus coastal plant life.

Amazon Jungle Indians: Liberal use of fresh water animal life, small land animals and birds, wild plants and seeds.

Summary of Dr Price’s findings

·      Nutrient-dense diets: Each of the above traditional diets were rich in fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K and minerals). The levels were several times greater than found in the western diet in the 1930’s. Our current western diet is even more depleted in key nutrients for health due to soil mismanagement!

·      Variety and adaptation: Each culture’s diet was adapted to local resources and included a wide variety of whole, unprocessed foods such as fresh animal products, organ meats, raw/fermented dairy, seafood and fish roe, whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds, fermented foods (which aided digestion and preserved nutrients), seasonal fruits and vegetables.

·      Animal-based diets: There were no vegetarian or vegan diets, I’m sorry to report to all the vegetarians and vegans reading this.  Every culture ate some form of animal protein, whether large or small animals, fish, eggs or birds.

·      Absence of refined foods: None of the diets contained refined sugar, white flour or processed foods. All food was prepared in a way that maximised nutrients availability, such as soaking, fermenting grains or legumes.

Health Observed in Isolated Groups

·      Perfect dental Health: Individuals on traditional diets exhibited wide dental arches, straight teeth, and visually no dental cavities, despite a lack of modern dental care i.e. toothbrushes, toothpaste and dentists!

·      Physical vitality: People had robust physical structures, strong immune systems, and high resistance to diseases like tuberculosis.

·      Mental health: Societies eating traditional diets demonstrated strong mental health, resilience and goodwill to their fellow society members. There was a lack of criminality and no need for police forces or prisons.

·      Fertility: Isolated communities had high fertility rates. Great care was taken prior to conception to feed both prospective parents the right ‘superfoods’ to ensure the right nutritional status to make healthy babies. They were quite expert at this. The ‘superfoods’ included organ meats.  Dr Price’s book contains many photographs of beautiful looking children with symmetrical faces, wide dental arches and no overcrowding of teeth.

Effects of Introduction of Western Foods

When modern Western foods, which Dr Price called the “displacing foods of modern commerce” were introduced to these isolated groups, their health quickly deteriorated. The Western foods were often introduced to communities by traders or missionaries. They foods included:

·      Refined sugars

·      White flour

·      Canned foods

·      Processed vegetable oils

·      Pasteurised or altered dairy products

·      Jams

The observed consequences included:

·      Dental Decay and Narrowing of Arches: Rates of tooth decay quickly skyrocketed. This was especially cruel as these communities had no dentists to deal with the pain and infection. Children born after dietary shifts exhibited narrowed dental arches, crowded teeth, and underdeveloped facial structures. These had a big effect on whole body health.

·      Chronic illness: There was a marked increase in chronic diseases within one generation, including diabetes, heart disease, and infectious diseases.

·      Weakened Immunity: Groups consuming processed foods were more vulnerable to infections and had weakened immune responses.

·      Poor Mental and Physical Development: Nutrient deficiencies led to diminished physical vitality and mental development in subsequent generations.  The food mistakes of the fathers and mothers were truly visited on the children and grandchildren, triggering a dwindling spiral of health.

Key Takeaways

Dr Weston Price’s message offers timeless principles that can guide people back to health through nutrition. Here are some practical steps to apply:

1.     Prioritize nutrient-dense foods

·      Eat Whole, Unprocessed Foods: Focus on foods in their natural state, such as fresh vegetables, fruits, grass fed organic meats, eggs, seafood and good quality dairy (if tolerated).

·      Include Organ Meats: Organ meats like grass fed beef liver are ‘superfood’ that are highly nutrient-dense and rich in fat-soluble vitamins and minerals.

·      Seek quality fats: Eat natural fats like butter, ghee, coconut oil, olive oil, and animal fats from grass-fed sources. Avoid industrial seed oils like canola, soybean and corn oil.

2.     Embrace Traditional Preparation Methods

·      Fermentation: Incorporate fermented foods like sauerkraut, kimchi, yoghurt, kefir and miso to enhance digestion and nutrient absorption.  (Caveat: If you are histamine intolerant, be cautious with fermented foods until your tolerance improves).

·      Soak and Sprout Grains and Legumes: Reduce anti-nutrients like phytic acid by soaking, sprouting, or fermenting grains, seeds and legumes before cooking.

·      Use Bone Broth: Make broths from bones to extract minerals and collagen for gut and joint health. You can get bone broths ready made in a jar from Australian Bone Broth Co. Can be added to stews, slow cooker meals, curries and casseroles.

3.     Avoid Processed Foods

·      Eliminate Refined Sugars and Flours: These contribute to blood sugar imbalances, nutrient deficiency, immune deficiency and inflammation - all the things that drive modern chronic degenerative diseases. It is said that if sugar were suddenly to disappear from the planet, half the hospitals would empty!

·      Avoid Artificial Ingredients: Stay away from additives, preservatives and synthetic flavourings.

·      Minimize Packaged foods: Opt for whole, fresh ingredients over prepackaged convenience foods.

4.     Focus on fat-Soluble Vitamins

·      Ensure your diet provides A, D, E and K2 from sources like grass-fed butter, fatty fish, egg yolks and fermented foods. These vitamins play a role in bone health, immunity and overall vitality.

5.     Build a Healthy Microbiome

·      Eat Probiotic-Rich Foods: Include fermented foods to support gut health which impacts immunity and nutrient absorption.

·      Feed Beneficial Bacteria:  Eat prebiotic fibres from foods like garlic, onions, leeks and bananas to nourish gut microbes. Eat a diverse diet to help populate the gut microbiome.

6.     Source Food Locally and Seasonally

·      Choose seasonal, local produce and grass-fed or pasture-raised animal products whenever possible. These are typically fresher, more nutrient dense, and free of harmful additives.  Seek local butchers and farmers markets over supermarkets.  If prioritising, choose organic meat over organic vegetables.

7.     Practice Pre-Conception Nutrition for Healthy Children

·      Dr Price observed that pre-conception nutrition for both parents was the key to producing healthy babies not suffering from underdeveloped jaws, narrowed dental arches and overcrowded teeth.  Dr Price linked the idea of beauty to one’s nutritional inheritance from one’s parents, noting that facial symmetry and physical structure are outward signs of optimal genetic expression, which is supported by nutrient-rich diets. Dr Price observed that parents practiced spacing time between each pregnancy to build up nutrients for the next child.

Beauty and Nutrition

In her book Deep Nutrition, which features some of the photographs taken by Dr Weston Price on his travels, Dr Catherine Shanahan introduces us to Marquardt’s Mask, a mathematical facial template derived from the Golden Ratio.  The Golden Ratio is a mathematical proportion often found in Nature and art, which is associated with balance and harmony. It is believed to underlie universally perceived standards of beauty in facial and physical symmetry. Marquardt’s Mask serves as a tool to illustrate how nutrition shapes symmetrical, proportionate features that are usually perceived as beautiful. When diets lack these vital nutrients, features are compromised, leading to physical degeneration and increased susceptibility to chronic diseases.  Dr Price’s photographs of handsome native peoples fit perfectly on the Marquardt’s Mask template.

Google Marquardt’s Mask for yourself and superimpose it on your own photograph to see your genetic inheritance.  The good news is that whatever your genetic inheritance, your health can be improved by simply following the above principles.

If you would like to improve your nutrition and health in 2025, please get in touch with the Good Health Clinic on goodhealthclinic@outlook.com to request a free 30 minute Enquiry Call or book an appointment.

Please note that an Enquiry call is not a consultation but an exploratory call to see if this is a clinical approach you wish to pursue.

To your very good health,

 
Suzanne Jeffery (Nutritional Medicine Consultant)

M.A.(Oxon), BSc.(NMed), PGCE, MNNA, CNHC

The Good Health Clinic at The Business Centre, 2, Cattedown Road, Plymouth PL4 0EG

Tel no: 07836 552936/ Answer phone: 01752 774755 

Disclaimer:

All advice given out by Suzanne Jeffery and the Good Health Clinic is for general guidance and informational purposes only.  All advice relating to other health professionals’ advice is for general guidance and information purposes only. Readers are encouraged to confirm the information provided with other sources.  Patients and consumers should review the information carefully with their professional health care provider. The information is not intended to replace medical advice offered by other practitioners and physicians. Suzanne Jeffery and the Good Health Clinic will not be liable for any direct, indirect, consequential, special, exemplary or other damages arising therefrom.